Attaching clip



w. R. WILEY ATTACHING CLIP Filed Jan. 24, 193s March 26, 1940.

9PM Gi. 9112,

INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS.

Patented Mar. ze, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Vaisance l 2 Claims.

This invention relates to an improved form of an attaching clip foreffecting the positioning of a finishing beading or moulding strip alongthe marginal edge of a sheet metal panel, and has for its object animproved device of this character, cheaply fabricableY in quantities, bymeansy of which a moulding strip may be effectively and rapidlyanchoredin position along thev marginal edge of, for example, the frontframe or finishing plate which surrounds and marginally overlaps theradiator shell at the front end of a motor vehicle. This, however, isbut one of several possible locations .of use for such a beading, and ismerely mentioned as illustrative.

Similarly, it will be noted from the, drawing that the form of mouldingstrip here ,discussed is one which has an overbent lateral edge, which,protectively covering the exposed marginal edge of the supporting sheetand panel, makes for nicety of appearance. My invention is, however,applicable without change to a plain moulding strip, ,A

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a plan view from beneath of my improved attaching clip.

Figure 2 is an end elevational view thereof, looking from left to rightin the position shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a cross sectional View thereof taken along the line 3-3 ofFigure 1 and looking in the direction of the arrows there shown.

Figure 4 is a plan View of my improved clip taken from above, that is,looking in the reverse direction from the showing in Figure l.

Figure 5 is a plan view of a piece of mouldingA strip showing successivestages of movement of my improved attachment clips incident to theirinstallation thereon.

Figure 6 is a perspective view, partly in section, of my assembled clipand its moulding strip and supporting panel, the section being along theline 6'-6 of- Figure 7, and looking in the direction of the arrows thereshown.

Figure 7 is a plan view of the assembled parts i'rom beneath positionedIupon a panel and moulding strip, as indicated by the line 1-.1 of Figure6, and looking in the direction of the arrows there shown. y

Figure 8 is an elevational view of a modified form of clip wherein asingle ange-engaging prong or tongue is located centrally of thewebinstead of one at each end as in the form of clip rst described.

Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view of a moulding strip and panel piece;showing a slightly variantly contoured clip positioned therein.

Figure 10 is a similar cross-sectional view of a moulding stripand-panel piece whereon is positioned a further modified form ofattaching clip.

Figure l1 is an elevational view of the modified so as to overengage theedge of the panel A. As I in the case of a plain moulding strip, themarginal edges of the web of the moulding strip are inbent, as at B' andB2, leaving a lengthwise extending space between them.

Although installable by hand .or by the aid of a screw driver, or evenby being slipped, oneby' one, into one end of the moulding strip, andmoved therealong to their intended positions thereon,

I nd that any one of the several forms of my im,- proved clips is mosteasily handled and snapped into place with the aid of a flat, strap-liketool such as is indicated at D in Figure 5. The two parts or branches D?and D2 of the tool are slippecl about the sharply angular portion F ofthe clip E, the space between these two branch portions being justenough to allow for the thickness of the sheet metal of which the clipweb is formed.

'I'he body portion of the clip E, illustrated in Figures l to 7inclusive, is formed with a central web, from each end or lateral edgeof which there extend branches or prongs, as G and H, each ofI thesebeing preferably slightly curved, as brought out by the shading inFigure l, and by the crosssectional showings, at G2 and H', in Figures 2and 3 respectively, and it will be noted from the showings in Figures 1,4, 5 and "l that the branch H is preferably somewhat shorter than thebranch or prong G.

With the moulding strip B placed so that its exposed bottom portion withthe inturned iianges faces upward.'the clip already positioned in theholder D is inserted between the flanges B' and B2, the shoulder G beingpushed underneath the flange B', as shown in position X of Figure 5.

'I'his is followed by the slight twisting or flexion right hand prong Nbeing snapped against and under the edge of the flange B2, which. while-resilient to a degree, is generally'not as much so as the metal of theclip; in any event, the flange 5 B2 is not" permanently distorted by themomentary sliding strain incident to the passage of the tip Hf of theprong branch H therepast. In its iinally seated position the clip as awhole springs backwhen fully seated, from the slightly angular l0position shown at Z in Figure 5 to a position of substantial alignment,viewed from left to right, with the moulding strip.

A section of moulding strip with clips thus` mounted thereon at desiredintervals is then applied to the edge of the supporting sheet metalpanel A which engages between the body of the clip E and the lip J,which occupies such an acute angular relation thereto asto be allbut'parallel therewith. The space between the webs E and J of the clipis-of such calculated narrowness that under some `circumstances theirfrictional enl The equality or inequality in the length of theI prongs Gand H may be varied to suit the cir- `cumstances, as', for example,according tor the width of the space between the opposing edges of theinturned flanges B' and B2 of the moulding strip. But under somecircumstances I have found that a slight abbreviation of the length ofthe prong H is desirable. And if for any reason it is deemed inadvisableto attempt the swinging .m and tool-aided insertion of the clips withinthe moulding strip, the clips could be slipped thereinto from one end orthe other thereof, but if the moulding strip is of any greatlength, thiswould seem to be an inconvenient method-of installing them as contrastedwith the method described.

It will be obvious, even as to the form of clip illustrated in Figures 1to 7 inclusive, that if in addition to the abbreviation of the prong H,the

prong G on the other e'nd of the clip were similarly shortened, theresiliency of the metal of the clip, aided by the slight curvature ofthe prongs Gand H already remarked upon, would permit the directinstallation of the clip upon the moulding strip, so that its prong tipsG2 and H could both be snapped into position under the edge of theflange B2 without resort to the twisting or swinging action of the clipas a whole, illustrated in the three positions X, Y and Z in Flgure,that G0 is to say, that the positioning of the clip relatively to theflanges B and B2 of the moulding 4strip would, while being installed, beapproximately that shown in dotted lines in Figure 7. A logical modifiedform of this would be repre- (-,5 sented by a reversal of` this prongpositioning, that is, leaving the terminal shoulders plain and stampingout in its central portion a depending lip or engaging piece, such as isshown at L in Figures 8 and 9, the body portion L of` this :0stamped-out tongue being of course integral with the web of the centralsection K, and this latter being in turn, an integral part ofthestamping of which the other panel-engaging Vlip M is' a part. The tipL2 of the clip is normally formed of such length and contour that whenthe top edge K2 of the web has proceeded as far as it can against theinterior surface of the' moulding strip adjacent the flange B', thepointy L2 rides over the inner edge of the flange B2 and beingadequately resilient, can be forced downwardly, that is, to-

in the form rst described.

In an earlier paragraph of this disclosure there was stressed the factthat the clips of the form first described might be installed inposition upon the moulding strip either by the swinging actiondescribed, or by being slipped into the end thereof so that 'the tips ofthe prongs G andI-I would from the first engage under the flange B2 ofthe moulding strip, while the top shoulder would' similarly engage underthe flange B'. l Applying this principle to a further modification ofthe form first illustrated and of the modified form shown in Figures 8and 9, it will be apparent from an inspection of Figures 10 and 11 thatthis same method of installation can be employed for the slightlyvariant form of flange-engaging tongue there shown. In this form the topedge of the web N engages under the iiange B while the tip P' of thetongue P engages under the flange B2, thus'leaving the-body portions ofthe Webs R and S to engage about and against either face of the panel A.f

What I claim is: f

1. In combination a sheet metal panel, a molding strip having inturnedfianges, a clip for securing said molding strip in fixed position at themarginal edge of said sheet metal panel', said clip comprising a sheetmetal member bent upon itself to provide a pair of arms adapted toreceive' the marginal edge of Ysaid sheet metal panel therebetween, oneof said arms being provided with a pair ,of prongs extendingsubstantially parallel to said arms adapted to seat within and anchorsaid clip within said molding strip, one of said prongs being shorterthan the other, the other of said arms having an inwardly struck lug todig into the surface of said panel to lockA said clip in positionthereon vwhereby said clip serves to secure said molding strip in fixedposition with respect to said panel.

2. In combination, a sheet metal panel, afmolding strip having inturnedflanges, a clip for securing said molding strip in fixed position at themarginal edge of `said sheet metal panel, said clip comprising a sheetmetal member bent upon itself to provide a pair of arms adapted toreceive the marginal edge of said sheet metal panel therebetween, one ofsaid' arms being providedwith a pair of prongs extending substantiallyparallel to said arms serving to resiliently bear against said moldingstrip to anchor said clip lwithin said molding strip, one of said prongsbeing shorter than the other, the other of said arms having an inwardlystruck lug to dig into the surface of said panel to lock said clip inposition thereon whereby said clip serves `to Vsecure said molding stripin fixed position with respect to said panel. f

WILLIAM R. WILEY.

